A new Rikon 1hp or a 20-30 year old Baldor?

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I am upgrading my sharpening system to CBN wheels. And thought it time for a new grinder. I got a Rikon 1hp, the larger one, but have yet to do anything with it at all.

Today I was offered a used old iron Baldor 8". It will be an almost identical price at about $250.

Having wanted a big old iron grinder for a long time I was immediately gleeful but then stopped and began to wonder which one would really be better for a sharpening only setup...

I have a wolverine to setup for it and intend to use it only for that purpose.

So I thought I would ask my fellow creekers... Which would you go with and why?

Thanks,
Joshua

[Bruce Whitaker]

Joshua,
I have a Baldor 8107WD of the same vintage that you are describing. Mine is an 8", .75 hp high speed grinder. The only parts that are not cast iron or steel are eye shield lenses. The list price for this grinder is $1100.00. When I bought mine it was dirtier than dirt. I cleaned it, installed new bearings just because it is so easy to do, and put bulbs in the eye shields. My total investment was under $30.00, excluding purchase price. This grinder does not whir when in use, it merely hums. It is a pleasure to use.
Bruce

[Roger Chandler]

If that 30 year old Baldor has seen heavy usage, it is likely the brushes and stator are worn, so there might be repairs down the road before long, but Baldor is usually premium stuff, though now days a lot of motors are high efficiency. You likely have a warranty period with the new Rikon.....some things to consider.

[Mike Goetzke]

A few months back I went through the same process. Most of the used Baldor grinders in my area were 3-phase or high speed. I wanted low speed so I purchased the 1HP Rikon you have and couldn't be happier. If you do a search you will find a few that have been modified for CBN wheels.

Mike

[Joshua Dinerstein]

It was pretty late when I sent this out last night and I was using a tablet with only the touch screen keyboard so I was I fear light on details.

It is old enough that I couldn't find much in the way of details on it. The "plate" was pretty warn and hard to read. I.e. so no specific model number.

There was frame # and details like that. It is a 1phase high speed grinder. At 110v it is 3450 rpm, at 240v it is 2850 rpm.

It did indeed hum when turned on. It was quick to start and come up to speed.

But I remind myself now that what i am looking to do is sharpen and just that. I don't need a grinder that runs for 8-12 hours a day... I also don't need one that I need to repair or find replacement parts for.

Thanks,
Joshua

[Roger Chandler]

Stick with the slow speed grinder for turning. It is a better way to go, although some do manage to do fairly well with a high speed.....3450 rpm is just too fast in my opinion, especially with CBN wheels! The rate of metal removal will be heavy unless the very lightest of touch is used.

[Reed Gray]

I have a couple of the Baldors, but the slow speed ones. I also have the Rikon 1 hp grinder. With the Baldor, it is difficult to get a Wolverine platform under it because of the dust port tubes on the back. This grinder also sits about 2 inches higher than the standard grinders. I had to get a machined washer to fit the 3/4 inch shaft to space the CBN wheels away from the grinder a bit (pictures of that on my CBN wheel article on my web site). Built like a tank.

With the Rikon, I had to modify it a bit to get the Wolverine to fit under it, and to be able to slide the robo rest all the way up to the wheel. I removed the lamp, which is too little light, and it didn't bend enough to get to where I could actually see with it. I took the rubber feet off because I want a solid mount on plywood for when I use it for demos or to move it around the shop. When I took them off, I found out I had to grind about 1/8 inch off of one foot to get it to sit level. I had to raise the Wolverine platforms about 5/8 inch up off the base to get them to the proper height, not an issue really. The wheel covers were another 'quality' issue. On the left side, I had to file a tiny bit off the crimped over flange on the wheel housing, which is actually nice since it is a positive stop for sliding the robo rest up to the wheel, and it will never move. On the right side, I had to ream out the mounting bolt holes in the cover and pivot the cover about 1/2 inch to get the wheel cover out of the way so I could slide the robo rest up to the wheel. I needed a couple of machined washers to put on the motor side so the wheel wouldn't rub on the threaded bolt flanges on the inside of the wheel cover, 1/8 inch plus. Other than that, for the price it is a good deal. A lot noisier than the Baldor, but comes up to speed in about the same amount of time. I keep my fine (600 and 1000 grit) CBN wheels on the Rikon, and the 80 and 180 on the Baldor.

I have never used a high speed grinder with CBN wheels. While they take off metal at a higher rate, that is a problem if you 'grind' as compared to 'sharpen'. Keep them both, and eventually you will probably won't be able to live without both of them...

robo hippy

[Bob Bergstrom]

I agree with Reed. Sometimes slow speed will do and other times there is " the need for speed. I hada Delta variable speed for a few years and found I kept turning it to the higher settings. Sold it, bought a Jet 1 hp high speed. Cheaper than the 1/2 hp slow speed Jet. I free hand sharpen and I change bevels or modify the shape quite a bit. I for one like getting the tool sharpened and back to turning. Most of my tools are powdered steel.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Really depends on who you are. For me it would be the Baldor, no question. Quality American made machine that will last more than a century. the mid-range speed isn't necessarily a bad thing. It will spin a couple steel CBN wheels easily. That said, I'm willing to open it up and change the bearings if needed, maybe even strip and paint so it looks like new. That's why I say it depends on who you are.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I am upgrading my sharpening system to CBN wheels. And thought it time for a new grinder. I got a Rikon 1hp, the larger one, but have yet to do anything with it at all.

Today I was offered a used old iron Baldor 8". It will be an almost identical price at about $250.

Having wanted a big old iron grinder for a long time I was immediately gleeful but then stopped and began to wonder which one would really be better for a sharpening only setup...

I have a wolverine to setup for it and intend to use it only for that purpose.

So I thought I would ask my fellow creekers... Which would you go with and why?

Thanks,
Joshua

I wouldn’t think for a moment and get the Baldor grinder, no comparison to the chinese ones, as for for brushes wearing, it is only the DC motors that have the brushes, as far as I know, not the AC motors